Living In A Greener World

Photos By Donna Kreutz / Solar Photos Courtesy GW Richardson

By Susan Chapman

Three years ago, Travis Richardson had a vision. With global warming an increasing concern and energy prices on the rise, Travis believed the time had come to move GW Richardson, the Santa Clarita-based company his parents, Gary and Christy, launched two decades earlier, into the green age.

“We were already a successful company in heating and air conditioning,” explains Travis, now the company’s general manager. “But I knew solar was something that was going to be big, especially in Southern California, and I felt we could really have an impact.”
His intuition proved right. Just one month after Travis received his California solar contractor’s license, he negotiated one of the largest privately owned residential solar contract in the state’s history, a project known as Hansen Ranch, in Fillmore.

“The Hansens, who hired us for the project, liked our work so much that they had us outfit their business as well,” Travis says proudly.
Travis notes that while an investment in solar can seem expensive at first, federal and state incentives are available to help mitigate the initial cost. For instance, commercial and residential customers can take advantage of a 30-percent federal tax credit, along with a state or utilities incentive rebate.  In addition to those incentives are the energy savings that solar owners enjoy.

“I put solar on my own home,” Travis says. “My monthly electricity bill fell to about $1.50. And, when I decided to sell, I received two full-price offers right away. Even in this tough housing market, solar is a real selling point.”

Operating on their own during their early days in business, Gary and Christy built their company by being detail-oriented and focusing on customer service. Fourteen years ago, while he was still at Hart High School, Travis began learning the business from the ground up, joining his parents full-time once he graduated from College of the Canyons. Now, he spends much of his time nurturing business relationships; providing training for the company’s employees; and exploring fresh markets, like solar.

 “The United States relies on foreign-based sources of oil, and prices continue to rise every day,” Travis says of solar’s burgeoning demand. “As a nation, we need to protect our future and live in a greener world. Using renewable energy sources is the first step in the right direction.”